Panel suggests slew of measures on e-Governance projects

NEW DELHI: With government projects becoming more technology intensive, an expert committee on HR Policy for e-Governance today recommended building internal capacity to manage them and exploring opportunities of collaboration with the private sector.

The committee, chaired by UIDAI Chairman Nandan Nilekani, in its report submitted to Telecom Minister Kapil Sibal recommended putting in place appropriate organisational structures both at Centre and states for the e-Governance programme and project management.

"The government must realise that unless we collaborate with the private sector...and understand what the needs of the private sectors are and how technology reaches the common man, (we)will not be able to sustain," Sibal said receiving the report.

The committee also proposed putting in place Electronic Services Division to be headed by Chief Information Officer in central ministries, Electronic Delivery of Services (EDS) Directorate in states and Union Territories and dedicated project teams for managing projects.

It has also recommended an enhanced role of NIC (National Informatics Centre) as a technology adviser to the government.

It has suggested various policy interventions required to build internal competencies and growing internal resource pool in the government with institutionalised training and capacity building mechanisms.

"...the competencies outside the government out to be leveraged and an enabling framework for attracting, retaining and optimally utilising such skilled persons needs to tbe put in place," the report said.

The Department of Electronics and Information Technology (DeitY), Secretary, J Satyanarayana said: "We need to take all these recommendation process to the government and then take it at the highest level for approval of the Cabinet. So once the government approves this then we will...use set of instructions from the government."

Separately, in reply to a question if UIDAI requires additional funding for the next fiscal, Nilekani said: "Whatever funding has been given we are very happy with that."